This invention involves a protection device to facilitate hand gripping of hand wrenches.
Despite the proliferation of socket wrenches operated by hand or mechanical means, one of the most popular tools is the simple hand wrench. The standard hand wrench has either two closed ends, two open ends, or the most common wrench having a closed end at one end at an open end at the other end, each capable of engaging nuts or bolt heads to turn them or hold them in place.
For the person who uses these wrenches only occasionally, a lengthy session of use usually results in sore hands, particularly in the base of the palm of the hand where the end of the wrench rests as torque is applied when using the wrench. It is usually not feasible to wear gloves while working with this type of tool since it is usually necessary to pick up small bolts or nuts and thread them onto each other. Without protection, sore hands are inevitable. For the skilled mechanic, sore hands result not from a single session but rather continuous day in and day out pressure to the base of the palm resulting in inflammation and discomfort as a result of regular continuous contact. Some possible conditions that arise from continuous pressure and hard use actually result in the wearing down of the bone or ligament exposing nerve channels to damage. Certain types of arthritis are exasperated by such hard use. Since the hand wrench tends to abut the same part of the palm each time torque is applied, the tool is particularly damaging. There is clearly a need to protect the hands particularly from the open end of the wrench when the closed end is being applied to the nut or bolt head. The edges are somewhat sharp and pointed. For the mechanic, it is common to wrap a rag around the wrench end, particularly when the open ended end is bearing into the palm of the user for a considerable period of time. However, rags are a safety hazard,d particularly when they are being used around moving equipment and they must be constantly rewound, adjusted and removed in order to maintain the proper protection. Other types of grips are not only not designed to safety these needs abut are inappropriate and do not attain the objects described hereinbelow.